Ah, November. The month of mustaches, cold weather, unlimited stuffing and – of course – the ultimate shopping day. We say this every year, but Goose Island has outdone themselves with an even better lineup of barrel-aged beers than ever, and an eventful Black Friday planned for beer lovers in Chicago. Binny’s locations across Chicagoland will all release Bourbon County Brand Stout when doors open on Friday, November 27, with the grandest release of them all right next door to the Goose Clybourn brewpub at our Lincoln Park location. Here’s what you need to know:

Join us at Binny’s Chicago – Lincoln Park for the biggest Goose Island BCBS release in Chicago. How it works: People will start to line up early. Once the line forms, Goose Island staff will pass out numbered tickets. These tickets give you the chance to purchase up to the full allotment – you don’t have to take everything, but you’ll get the chance to buy two 16.9 oz bottles of Bourbon County Brand Stout, plus one 16.9 oz bottle of each of the following: Barleywine, Coffee Stout, Regal Stout, Proprietor’s and Rare.

…And that’s not all. Be sure to show up early. We can’t disclose all the specifics, but those at the head of the line will have extra special perks, including Goose Island gift bags, coffee, donuts, giveaways, and even the opportunity to purchase Bourbon County varieties from previous years pulled from the vault specially for this occasion. Again – that’s just for folks at the head of the line, and only at Binny’s Lincoln Park.

UPDATE: Vintage BCBS at Grand Release

We can now confirm that Binny’s has secured a large enough allocation of vintage BCBS to allow all ticket holders in line at Binny’s Lincoln Park to purchase one 22oz or two 12oz vintage bottles of their choice. This allocation includes the following:

More stuff: The most popular vintage bottles will sell out first and will not last long, but there will be something special for everyone. No, we aren’t going to publish specific allocations or prices ahead of the event.

UPDATE: Goose Island Bourbon County Snifters

Goose Island Bourbon County Snifters will be available for sale this year at all Binny’s locations. They are high-quality snifters made by Spiegelau, a prominent glassware brand. Binny’s is the only place you’ll be able to purchase these snifters, besides the Goose Island pubs. They are first come, first served while quantities last.

FAQ

When will the 2015 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout variants be released?
When doors open on Friday, November 27th at all Chicagoland Binny’s locations.

Will I have to stand in line?
Yes. It’s sure to get cold, so don’t forget your hat and gloves! Protip: Head to the Binny’s Lincoln Park Goose Island BCBS Grand release where we’ll have our largest allocation. It’s no secret that Goose has increased production of their Bourbon County Brand Stout, but unfortunately we haven’t seen this increase in some of the variants – supply is limited.

Can I call my local Binny’s ahead of time?
Sure, but all of the information you need is right here. We can not hold bottles.

What can I buy?
Depending on where you are in line, we will offer the opportunity to purchase the full allotment that is available at each location. If you head to Lincoln Park, every person who receives a ticket in line will have the opportunity to purchase the full allotment.

Will the Binny’s Lincoln Park or South Loop Tasting Room bars be open?
No.

UPDATE: Can people share open bottles or drink in line?
No. Absolutely not.

UPDATE 11/17: Will Bloomington and Champaign get all varieties?
Sorry, it looks like our distributors in Bloomington and Champaign won’t be able to get us Prop or Rare this year. We’ll have everything else, though.

What BCBS variants will be available this year?

Bourbon County Brand Stout

$9.99

The one that started it all. Goose Island’s imperial stout, aged to perfection in bourbon barrels.

Bourbon County Brand Barleywine

$12.99

Another Goose Island classsic, this English-Style Barleywine is aged in bourbon barrels .

Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

$12.99

The variant that keeps you on your toes. The 2015 incarnation features Intelligentsia Los Delirios coffee from Nicaragua.

Bourbon County Brand Regal Rye Stout

$23.99

New to the lineup, this variant was a collaborative effort among the brewers. This unique blend was brewed with with blackberry juice, cocktail cherries and sea salt, and finished in bourbon barrels.

Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout

$23.99

An imperial stout brewed with maple syrup aged in bourbon barrels, toasted pecans and guajillo peppers. Proprietor’s continues to be a homage to Chicago residents.

Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout

$64.99

Goose Island took their classic Bourbon County Brand Stout and aged it for two years in 35-year-old Heaven Hill whiskey barrels.

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204 thoughts on “Black Friday 2015: Goose Island BCBS Release”

Why would people need to continue to wait in line if you’re giving out tickets? What happened to the option to do this all online now that you are able to legally sell tickets now that the bar is in place? What are the prices of the variants?

I’m confused, how hard is it to pull numbers ahead of time, hand out numbered tickets, and as people are checking out, they check to see if they “won” the right to buy a vintage bottle? Your system seems to be encouraging people to get in line as early as possible with language like “Be sure to show up early…Again – that’s just for folks at the head of the line.”

So if you are in line when tickets are handed out, you will know if you are not getting anything if you are not handed a ticket? Last year we waited in line after the store opened for over an hour only to find out the items were sold out when we were still 60 people away from the register. Hopefully the stores will give people fair warning on the max line length when it is reached.

All stores should consider letting folks know when the allotments of each variant are going to run out, in some manner. Getting something/anything is great, but missing out on the one variant you really wanted stinks after waiting in the cold for hours.

Suburban Binny’s will allow you to purchase the full allotment? Last year I was first in line and was told I had to choose between prop or vanilla rye. Will that be the case again at suburban stores or if I am first in line and my guaranteed one of everything

Hillary, are you a representative of Binny’s ?
If I am first in line at a suburban store and I am told I have to choose between variants can I refer the manager to this article and you. So that I am guaranteed one of each

Hilary, when are the tickets going to be passed out? Will i be able to come get in line, get my ticket, and then come back when the store opens? Or are the tickets going to be passed out right before opening? Thanks for your help!

Too bad, Hilary said above that you would announce an approximate number of tickets for LP. I think you should, especially if, as she said, there is plenty to go around. It will keep people from camping out all night for no reason one way or another unless they want to get the goodie bag.

I know that people will have other people stand in line for them and then once tickets start being handed out they’ll join their friends in line. Thus, there is a chance of those behind them not getting a ticket. I say, no budging or holding. But easier said than done. What will Binnys do to ensure fairness in the lines?

There’s a lot of DIShonor in that system. I only bring this up because at a similar event, people entered the line when they were never in line to begin with once the line started to move and I was THAT GUY who was behind the last couple who got the last Vanilla Rye and was left with only regular. Not wanting that to happen again.

Absolutely right. Without anyone looking after the line, the situation could turn ugly, especially given the info here stating that tickets aren’t going to be handed out until the morning (big mistake), allowing for folks who weren’t in line earlier a chance to slip into the line just before tickets are handed out.

Last year we had about 15 people already lined up at 6:00am at our St. Charles location. If you just want “some” of the allotment you might be safe getting there later than that, but the earlier the better!

So if I were only able to make it out to a location by midnight and were staying near Millennium Park, would that be cutting too close for going to the Lincoln Park location? Also, will there be a way to call and speak with someone to gauge if it would be a waste of time to make the trek or will there be relatively timely updates on the internets like this board? Cheers…

I will be going to the Binny’s in Orland Park. I just wanted to see if you knew when the lime started to form at this location last year and also will they get all variants including proprietors and rare?

Hilary, any chance you can get the Store Managers from all the local downtown and suburban Binny’s stores to post on this bog that their store will honor the proper allotment that you’ve stated above? Since this is the Binny’s blog, I wouldn’t think it’d be a big deal for them to post. Obviously given the popularity of the beer, along with the time people are looking it invest in purchasing your product, I’d think that would be an easy way to GUARANTEE they are fully aware of your stated policy.

Is the same amount of BCS bottles(know it’s all variants) shipped to each location that isn’t Lincoln Park, such as Lakeview, Skokie, Niles, etc? I’m debating which location I should go to, since I’d prefer to avoid narrowly missing out on the special variants by just 2-3 people, like what happened at Lakeview in 2013.

I take it I should go as early as I can, though, and would rather go early in the morning into one Binny’s line, over camping out overnight at Lincoln Park.

Based on similar turnouts in year’s past (and the fact that that turnout gets a little bigger each year), are you expecting to have enough beer that everyone in line will get a full allocation (at LP Binnys)? Or are you planning on having to turn people away at some point? Also, since you are saying that everyone who gets a ticket gets a full allotment and you are not passing out tickets beyond that, does that mean if Rare, or Prop runs out, that’s it? Or would you get the chance to buy everything else but that?

There will be enough product to match the number of tickets passed out. If you receive a ticket at Binny’s LP, you have the opportunity to purchase the full allocation. If you do not receive a ticket at Binny’s LP, you will not be able to purchase anything. The FAQ in the blog post above should help answer your questions as well.

Thanks for all of the great information. One question regarding the times on the lines forming: When you said last year the lines started forming around 6am (i.e. – St Charles/Highland Park, etc…) did you mean on Black Friday, or the day before?

Any updates on number of allocations at LP or Time that you will pass out tickets? The problem I see is what happes to the person who shows up at midnight and gets potentially shut out after waiting for 9 hours.

That didn’t answer my question. I see that there will be this years bourbon county plus vintage bourbon county. I was asking if besides bourbon county will there be any other special releases such as whiskey or other brands of beer

Are the aforementioned allotments the minimum or maximum an individual could receive? Asking because, I have seen other stores in different parts of the country, post a larger allotment. Thanks for being as helpful and informative as you have been.

By getting a ticket to the event at LP after buying a full allotment of this year’s Bourbon County is there a limit on the quantity of each of the previous years bottles you can buy? Can a person buy each of them if available? Can multiples of each be purchased?

From the previous comments, it seems like the LP Binnys will have lines forming the previous day. The question I have is if someone comes at a time like 4am, is there a high chance of them not being able to get any bottles? After waiting in line for 5 hours.

Just want to say thanks to Hilary, Greg, Kyle & Binny’s for their great information on this blog. A standard allotment across all stores is a great approach imo. Now let’s hope for a smooth release for everyone on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving to all and cheers!